More than $1.5 million in marijuana plants found in Newbury Park

By Sylvie Belmondbelmond@theacorn.com

SYLVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers A HEAVY LOAD—A Ventura County Sheriff’s Department narcotics officer carries marijuana plants found at a site in Newbury Park. The pot was being cultivated just off Rancho Conejo Road, not far from an apartment complex. Two suspects were apparently living at the site to take care of the plants. According to police officers, the plants are believed to be potent. Just one fully grown marijuana plant can produce as much as $5,000 in drug sales. The potent smell of pot filled the air of a rugged little ravine bordering the Arroyo Conejo Creek in Newbury Park last Friday. A short but challenging hike down Hill Canyon led to a lush mini-forest of well-groomed and well-maintained marijuana plants, each about 5 or 6 feet tall.

The serene location stood in stark contrast to the illegal operation that was being conducted at the site.

Two individuals who lived in a makeshift camp guarded the crop, worth about $1.6 million retail on the streets, authorities said.

“This is the first big pot eradication this year,” said Eric Nishimoto, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman. Authorities destroyed 798 plants, he said.

About 45 officers from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department arrived to eradicate the marijuana crop that was tucked in a heavily wooded area less than a quartermile from the Villa Arroyo apartment complex on Rancho Conejo Road.

Law officers apprehended one male who was armed and allegedly maintained the one-acre pot farm.

Servondo Ponce Villa, 22, of Los Angeles County was booked on suspicion of illegal cultivation of marijuana. He was also charged with having a gun during the commission of a felony and was booked at Ventura County Jail in lieu of $105,000 bail.

Authorities were almost positive that another male suspect was involved. They thought he might be lurking in the bushes. While some cops pulled out the plants, others conducted a search.

“There’s no doubt the other person is still around,” said a DEA agent who noticed a pair of boots next to a tent. But helicopter and perimeter searches were unsuccessful.

“It’s really hard to grab these guys. They hear us coming and know their way around,” Nishimoto said.

The possibly fleeing suspect didn’t stop agents from continuing with the tedious task of unearthing the plants, neatly planted on pre-made terraces spanning the steep terrain.

The growing area was surrounded by low-lying barbed wire. An irrigation system delivered water from the arroyo to the plants, and the field was shielded with chicken wire to prevent wildlife from encroaching.

While the DEA agents eradicated the growth, a field command center was established at the Baxter heliport, where several agencies assisted.

The helicopter carried the marijuana to an undisclosed location where the pot was buried. Authorities no longer burn marijuana, they said.

Ryan Wright, a deputy Ventura County district attorney, watched the proceedings.

Cultivating marijuana can lead to five years in prison, Wright said.

Authorities first found the site during routine air surveillance and they began to monitor the operation, Nishmoto said. The suspects just kept working even when the helicopter was flying over, he said. 

“One of the biggest concerns is public safety,” said Sgt. Bret Uhlich of the sheriff’s department. In previous years, hikers were targeted with gunfire by pot growers because they accidentally got too close.

Public safety was a priority last week.

This isn’t the first time growers used the location to cultivate their crop. A similar farm with 760 plants was destroyed at the exact same spot two years ago.